Roses like blood
by Lotus Sword
Summary: Kirino-senpai always protected her and Hanaraki Akara felt herself drawn to him. But she never realized to what extend he would protect her, and to what extend she would need it. Vampire!KirinoxAkara / [Requested by SapphireSpade]
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Time for a new story! ^^**

**Kariya: Another one? Don't you have enough already?**

**Me: NEVER! This story is requested by SapphireSpade and it's Kirino Ranmaru x Hanaraki Akara (her OC, if you didn't know). SapphireSpade-san, I hope this lives up to your expectations *bows***

**Kirino: Finally, a normal story about me *smiles***

**Me: Ehehe, about that...**

**Kirino: ...What is it?**

**Me: You're an... ehm... a vampire?**

**Kirino: O.o**

**Kariya: Oi, Kirino-senpai, you still there? *waves his hand in front of Kirino's face* Hmm, guess not. *suddenly smirks mischievously***

**Me: Kariya, I want no pranks you hear? Go do the disclaimer or something.**

**Kariya: *grumble* Lotus Sword doesn't own the Inazuma Eleven characters or Inazuma Town or something like that. They all belong to Level 5. Akara-chan belongs to SapphireSpade-san and the rest is from Att-chan's crazy mind (BEWARE!)**

* * *

"Sakimidarete kono omoi kanjite zutto~"

Her lips formed the words of the song without hesitation as she softly hummed the melody to herself. Hanaraki Akara, a scarlet-haired firstyear from Raimon Jr. Gakuen, was walking home after soccer practice. It was Friday, late in the afternoon, and the sky was already coloured red by the setting sun. She enjoyed the warm breeze on her face, the sweet scents of the cherry blossoms, the chirping of the birds... She couldn't help but smile at all of those things. _Summer is definitely my favourite season,_ she thought.

"Aka-chan, please wait!" A familiar voice pulled her away from her thoughts and she turned around to the person behind her. Her lips automatically formed a smile when she saw her pink-haired senpai, Kirino Ranmaru. He ran up to her and wasn't even out of breath when he reached her, even after soccer practice. _As expected from Raimon's ace defender,_ she thought. "Are you walking home alone today?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," she nodded shyly.

"Then, please allow me to walk you home."

"You don't have to, Kirino-senpai," she hurried to object. "It isn't that far and I don't want to bother you."

He chuckled in response. "We have this conversation every day and you always say that, but my answer won't change. It's not a bother at all, you know. In fact, I quite like to do it."

A small blush spread over her cheeks and she looked to the ground, but she didn't object anymore. Kirino was in the same team as her and his position was defender. Akara often thought about how graceful his movements were when he intercepted a pass or stole the ball. His pink hair, which was tied in two pigtails, would wave in the wind. His azure eyes would scan the entire field in an instance and would lock with the person that he would pass the ball to. Akara loved it when he passed to her, because then she could look into his beautiful eyes a little longer. They always held a spark when he was playing soccer.

But why all these thoughts about Kirino? Well... Akara found it hard to admit, even to herself, but it could be that she maybe, perhaps, had a tiny little crush on him. Oh, who was she kidding, she really liked him. He was sweet, handsome, caring and a good soccer player. He was really fast and his passes held so much power that he could have been a great forward. She once told him that, but he only smiled and said that he had a better view from his current position.

For one reason or another, her cheeks had heated up at that comment. Why? He was absolutely right: it's easier to overlook the game's flow from the back of the field. That was all he had meant with it, so why did she suddenly blush? Maybe it was in the look he gave her, or in the tone he said it, but there was something that told her that there was another meaning to his words.

But, back to the main point, Kirino's best qualities weren't his kindness, his looks or even his plays. No, his best quality...

"Aka-chan, watch out for that puddle."

... was his protectiveness.

She felt Kirino's hand on her waist as he softly pulled her away from the muddy puddle in front of her. She had been so deep endulged in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed it. If it weren't for Kirino, she would have walked straight into it and gotten all dirty. She blushed once again when she realized how much she relied on him, even for little things like these.

"A-arigatou, Kirino-senpai."

"No problem."

Yes, Kirino always seemed to protect her. Not that he was overly concerned or something, but he always seemed there for her when she needed him. She felt save when he was around, because honestly, she... She had that strange feeling lately. As if someone was watching her. As if someone was lurking from the shadows, waiting for her to let her guard down. But no matter how many times she turned around, no one was there.

She kept thinking about it for a while and suddenly she noticed that Kirino wasn't walking next to her anymore. She turned around to find him standing a couple of feet behind her, an amused smile on his face. "What's the matter, Kirino-senpai?" she asked.

He chuckled. "We've reached your house, Aka-chan," he said and pointed. Her cheeks went beet red from embarrassment and she muttered a few apologies while she almost ran towards the door. When she was at the door, she turned around and saw that Kirino was still smiling at her.

"Well then, see you Monday in school, senpai."

"Yeah, see you then," he replied and he started to walk again. She kept looking at him until he turned around the corner and disappeared from her view. Then she sighed and closed the door behind her.

"Tadaima," she yelled softly. As expected, there was no reply. Akoro, her older brother, was probably still in the hospital. He worked there every day from morning to evening, so she is often alone after school. Not that she minded it all the time, though. Being alone gave her the time to think. After she sat down at the dining table with her microwave meal (mac and cheese) and said "Itadakimasu", she started to eat. Her thoughts soon drifted off to her pink-haired senpai. His house was only a few blocks away from hers, so he was probably already at home.

* * *

Well, Kirino wasn't. In fact, he didn't get much further than the first corner. He halted his steps and his smile changed into a cautious scowl, all because of what, or rather who, he saw there. His hair was shaped like a shark and though it was too dark to see it, Kirino knew that there was a scar across his left eye. "I still don't get why you spend so much time with her," the figure said. "I don't have to remind you that it's impossible for you to be with her, do I?"

Kirino didn't reply. He knew who the person was, he recognised the voice. Namikawa Rensuke, the captain for Kaiou. He knew this boy well enough to know that he shouldn't let Namikawa's words get under his skin. Said boy paused for a second to see if he got a reaction. He didn't.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" he smirked and walked forward. "But I think I can imagine what you see in her. I might do the same if I were you... No wait, I wouldn't. I would just show her who's the strongest and maybe toy a little with her before I-."

"Stay away from her," Kirino hissed. He spoke slowly and he emphasized each word, as if the other wouldn't be able to understand it if he didn't. He knew that Namikawa would understand it either way, he was just scared that the other wouldn't listen to him. Namikawa Rensuke never listened.

"Oho, no need to get all hissy there." The boy with the shark-shaped hair halted right in front of Kirino, but neither of them backed away. After a little while - Seconds? Minutes? - of glaring in silence, Namikawa closed his eyes and smirked to himself. "I would love to stay here and chat, but I have somewhere to go." As soon as he said those words, he jumped and disappeared from Kirino's view. "Until next time, Kirino."

Kirino looked up, just in time to see Namikawa running on the roof of a nearby building. He watched as the boy jumped and landed on another roof. Then he turned around a corner and Kirino could no longer see him. He sighed to himself and started to walk again. Namikawa's jumps were inhumane; no human would be able to pull that off. Still, Kirino was not shocked at all. He knew that Namikawa wasn't human.

He himself wasn't human either.

* * *

**So, that's the first chapter people! Please leave a review on the way out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Sorry for the long wait, minna, but I had to work out the plot for this thing before I could post the second chapter. I hope it lives up to your expectations.**

**Akara: Kirino-senpai belongs to level 5 and I belong to SapphireSpade. Att-chan doesn't make money with this fic in one way or another.**

**Kirino: Enjoy!**

* * *

Kirino walked out of his house and locked the door behind him. With his hands shoved in his pockets, he walked through the empty streets. There wasn't much traffic on the road this early, and he crossed it without looking. The sun peeked around the horizon, like a little boy who was afraid of being scolded. A few minutes later, it was already a glowing ball that floated in the air.

_How quickly the earth moves,_ Kirino thought to himself. _How many sunrises have I already seen? And yet I only lived about half of my life._

Then he forced his feet to walk again, and he turned his back towards the sun. More and more people came out on the streets, though there were still very few. Because the sun was still very low in the sky, its light coloured the buildings and the people around him red.

Of all colours of light that the sun emitted, why did it have to be red? Red was the colour of many things. Love, red roses, passion, hatred, wine...

Blood.

He resisted the urge to grit his teeth, though he knew that no one would notice his fangs. His tongue slid across his canine teeth, which were just slightly longer and pointier than the teeth of normal humans. As he kept his tongue pressed against one of them, he felt how it grew a little.

It became a little bigger.

A little pointier.

And a whole lot sharper.

It was almost time, he knew it. He knew if from the dull ache in the back of his throat, which made breathing just a little bit more difficult for him. He knew it from his fangs, which grew bit by bit. The predator in him was breaking free.

Kirino knew that he couldn't always control himself when it happened, that was why he was heading this way. He turned right and left the main buildings behind him. The houses became smaller when he neared the edge of Inazuma Town. A quick glance to his left and right taught him that there was no one around, so he took a deep breath and dashed towards the forest that laid near this part of town.

His speed was inhumane, and it felt good to give his all for once. When he was playing soccer with the team, he always had to hold himself back, but now... He zigzagged through the forest. Trees suddenly appeared in his path, but no matter how fast he went, he could always dodge them in time. When he stopped running, he couldn't see the town anymore. Only if he listened really carefully, he could hear a single car driving on the main road.

He closed his eyes and let his other senses come to life. He heard how the wind rustled through the branches of the trees, playing with the leaves. He heard a snap, not from an animal that stepped on a dead branch, but from a leave that finally gave up battling against the never-ending wind and let go of the branch it had been holding onto. The chilly autumn wind pressed against his skin and filled his nose. He smelled the sweet scent of rotting branches and dead leaves, a scent that simply belonged to the autumn.

He opened his eyes and saw his face reflected in hundreds of little dewdrops, which were caught in a spider's web on the other side of the clearing. A squirrel dug a hole in the ground and stuffed a few nuts from his secret stack into his mouth. The critter stared at the pink haired boy, who stood there like a statue, for a while. Then it ran to a tree and climbed up, disappearing between the brown leaves.

Kirino's nose began to filter different scents from the air and catagorized them. The general aroma that he dubbed as 'autumn' was soon divided in much more specific odours. Squirrels, bunnies, oak, willow, nettle, fertile ground, compost, voles... Then he found what he was looking for: deer.

He ran as he followed the animal's smell, not making any sound as his feet came in contact with the moist ground. A little further, he saw the deer. It was grazing, carelessly munching the viscous plants between its strong jaws. From where Kirino was standing, the sounds were clearly audible in the silence that surrounded them. He knew exactly when the deer noticed him: its head shot up and he saw how the muscles in its hind legs contracted, preparing for the run. He didn't waste any time and he dashed towards the animal.

They were involved in a heated chase for a couple of minutes, but then Kirino won. He killed the deer immediately. Sure, he needed it to survive, but that didn't mean that he was a sadist who liked to see his prey struggle. _Unlike someone else,_ he thought, but he didn't want to think about that now, so he focused on his meal. His fangs, now fully extended, sank in the deer's neck and he started to suck up the blood that was still warm. He tried not to think too much about the unsatisfying feeling that the blood gave him.

Creatures like him, also known as vampires, could survive on animal blood, but they were originally predators for human blood. Though animal blood was enough for them to stay alive, it wasn't as satisfying as human blood. By far. He felt how his fangs slowly retracted and pulled away from the carcass. Without adverting his eyes from the trees in front of him, he spoke. His voice cut through the silence between the trees.

"Backstabbing? I can't say I'm surprised, it's much like your style."

A few seconds of silence, then a reply was heard.

"Don't mind me, I mean no harm." It was followed by snickers, which made it hard to believe. Kirino got up and turned around, wiping his mouth in the process.

"What do you want?" he asked the figure in the shadows. The person took a few steps forward, into the light, and Kirino saw who it was. Not like he hadn't recognized the other's voice, but now his assumptions were confirmed.

"Do you still need to ask?" Namikawa shrugged indifferently. Kirino bared his teeth, though the gesture was less threatening now that his fangs had retracted. No, he didn't need to ask it anymore. Every time Namikawa came to him, it was to ask one single question. Or rather, one proposal: join us. It would have been a demand if the clan had more power.

Namikawa Rensuke was a member of the Kaiou clan. Vampire clans were groups of vampires, sometimes composed by family members, sometimes by people with equal opinions. It was unusual to name a clan after a school, since school was such a short period of their lives. The Kaiou clan was the only one, as far as Kirino knew. It was a small clan, which only consisted of the members of Kaiou Gakuen's soccer club.

The meaning of a clan was that the members stick together and watch each other's backs, so it's not strange for clan members to be in the same club. Since Kaiou is such a small clan, they cover up all positions of a soccer team. Kirino suspected them to 'accidentally' injure anyone who wants to join the soccer club, so that no outsiders would join.

Though small, the Kaiou clan consisted of aggressive, violent vampires who were very power-hungry. They would go far to get what they wanted, very far. Kirino didn't want to be involved with such individuals, though they wanted him to join for some reason. Kirino wasn't a member of a clan, which made him a so-called nomad. Nomads were vampires who took care of themselves and didn't rely on someone else. He liked living that way, since he had more freedom than he would have in a clan.

"No."

"And what is your answer?"

"No."

Namikawa laughed to himself, but when he looked up, all traces of a joke were wiped from his face. "Listen carefully," he stated calmly. "My patience is wearing thin. If you don't over-think it, I promise to you that you will regret it."

Kirino's Adam's apple rose and fell as he swallowed, the only visible sign of the tension he felt. He knew that this wasn't an empty threat, no light-hearted comment to persuade him. Namikawa meant what he said. Every word of it. He opened his mouth to reply and shot a prayer of thanks to the airwaves when his voice sounded confident. "My answer won't change."

Namikawa clenched his jaw and even raised his fist to punch Kirino. But much to the pink haired vampire's surprise, he lowered immediately and took a few steps back. "I see," he said. "That's a shame. I guess if we can't welcome you into Kaiou, we'll have to treat you like an enemy."

That wasn't only way to solve this, Kirino knew that very well. There wasn't such a thing as: 'If you're not with us, you're against us'. Vampires could be neutral, if they wanted to. That was what he wanted to remain: neutral. Namikawa, however, didn't seem to give him that option, but Kirino couldn't find it in him to care. The last thing he wanted to be was Kaiou's member or ally. If the only option left was to be their enemy, it wasn't a hard choice.

"I won't be responsible for what will happen to you," Kaiou's leader said indifferently as he turned around. He walked away, and when he was barely visible in the shadows of the trees, he expanded his threat. "Or her."

Then he was gone, and Kirino was alone with these growing anxious feelings inside him.

* * *

**Me: There, done! I'm sorry, SapphireSpade, that Akara didn't appear here. I'm still struggling a bit with her personality, but I'm getting better at it! ^^ I hope to update more frequent now that I have the plot worked out, but I don't promise anything.**

**Akara and Kirino: Please leave a review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: *bursts into the room* I APOLOGIZE FOR LATE UPDATES PEOPLE! I got a new scedule and it's a total despair. I'm often finished at four and I have to cycle for at least one hour, so I have barely any time for homework. I try to keep updating, but it'll mostly be in the weekends. My apologies *bows***

**Kirino: Lotus Sword doesn't own Inazuma Eleven GO**

**Akara: Or me!**

**Me: Please enjoy yourself!**

* * *

"So, what was his answer?" Fukami Dandou asked. Kaiou Gakuen's goalkeeper leaned back in his chair, his hands lazily put behind his wild, light brown hair. The white cap that covered his mouth moved as he spoke, but Namikawa was used to that now. He had just come back from his meeting with Kirino, trying to calm himself down on the way back. He tried his best not to turn around and kill that stupid nomad as soon as the other let his guard down. His clan members were having a meeting, though every outsider would think it was a meeting of the soccer club. But to be honest, soccer was the last thing they thought of right now.

"No, as usual," he sighed as he plumped down on an empty chair.

"Again?" Fukami frowned. "That's the umpteenth time already!"

"And the last time, if you ask me," Namikawa growled, looking up to his teammates. What he saw, curved his lips into an unpleasant grin: their eyes were all filled with an undeniable thirst for blood. Not their usual thirst though, the actual thirst they experienced whenever they hadn't drunk in a while. This was more like an urge for revenge.

"Won't it be a problem, though?" Wanda Nouto, a defender, piped up. "We need him for the plan, don't we?"

"We'll have to come up with a new plan then," Namikawa shrugged. "After all these humiliating rejections of his, I wouldn't take him in even if he was begging on his knees."

"Captain, take a look at this," Touga Touro said, looking up from his laptop. Touga was a midfielder in their team. Right now, he was looking up valuable information, something that they might need in the future.

Namikawa got up and read what his team and clanmate had found. It was an old newspaper article and he recognized it right away. 'Couple dies in fateful car accident' was the title. The article spoke of a couple that died when another car collided with theirs. The man and woman died instantly, but their three-year-old daughter was still alive and in the hospital.

He remembered that 'accident' pretty well. "An article about that thing from ten years ago," he said uninterested. "Is that what you wanted to show me?"

"It's the Hanaraki couple, remember?" Touga went on, speaking as if his captain was missing the point.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Their daughter survived."

"Yeah, so what?"

Touga rolled his eyes. "Seriously Captain, what was that name of Kirino's girl again?" And now Namikawa finally caught on. The girl who had survived, could she be Kirino's little toy? And with a mother like that, did that mean... All the puzzle pieces fell into place as he finally understood what his clanmate meant.

"Ah, so that's it," he smiled. "That is indeed interesting. In a few days, let's bring Kirino a little bouquet to show to his girl, shall we?"

* * *

The weekend passed without trouble. Kirino didn't see Namikawa again, and since he checked up on Akara from time to time, he knew that nothing happened to her either. Still, he couldn't get rid of his anxious feelings. Patience wasn't like Kaiou-vampires, but that didn't mean that they always rushed into things without thinking about it. They could be really sly if they wanted to.

Another, far more dominant side of them was that they could be cruel. Very cruel. He had no doubt that they were planning something to punish him for rejecting their offer. He broke a cold sweat when he thought about what they might do to Akara, because he was sure they would target her. He mentally cursed himself. He had been way too obvious with his feelings for her. Namikawa realized that the best way to harm Kirino, was to harm Akara.

That was why Kirino tried to stay near her for as much as he could, so he could always get her out of danger. Or at least, so he hoped. Luckily, Akara didn't seem bothered by his sudden attention to her. She never rejected him when he asked if they could make homework together - even though they were in different grades - or if she could help him with something.

Soccer practice came to its end and all the players started changing. Kirino hurried to pull his trousers over his legs, struggling as the fabric didn't glide very smoothly over his sweaty legs. The jacket of his school uniform provided the same problem and he nearly scratched his skin from the rough way in which he put in on. But he didn't even feel the dull pain, for his mind was occupied with only one thought: _Akara._

She was all alone in the girls' dressing room now, and he feared that one of Kaiou's members might sneak in and do something to her. _That would be very much like them,_ he thought bitterly. He finished tying his shoelaces and needed a lot of effort not to sprint for the door, since that would only draw attention to him. So he calmly stood up, smiled to his teammates, said goodbye and headed for the door.

"Kirino, wait a moment," Shindou called out and Kirino hid a grimace. Not that he didn't like his best friend, who he had known for many years, but at the given circumstances, Kirino would have gladly strangled the brunette. _I really don't have time for this,_ he mentally sighed as he flashed his Shindou a relaxed grin.

"What is it?"

"Are you alright?"

Kirino blinked, had he been too obvious again with his feelings? "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" _Because a violent vampire clan is trying to hurt or kill me or Aka-chan since I didn't join them,_ a voice in his mind said. But he couldn't say that! He would be sent to a mental institution right away.

"You dozed off a few times during practice, so I thought something was bothering you," Shindou smiled before he lowered his voice a bit so none of the others could hear them. "I also caught you staring at Aka-chan more than once."

Kirino blushed a bit, though he shouldn't be surprised. Shindou was the only one who knew about his feelings for the scarlet-haired girl, though the brunette had promised to keep it a secret. "W-well, nothing's wrong," he said.

"Alright, if you say so," Shindou said. There was still some doubt lingering in his eyes, but it disappeared after a few seconds. He must have decided to believe Kirino. The latter felt a bit guilty about lying, but there was no way he could tell the truth, so he kept quiet about it.

"I'll be going then," he said and Shindou nodded. When the doors slid close behind him, Kirino found out that Akara had already left for her home. Suppressing a curse, he ran out of the building. Even though he just finished an intense practice session, he could still run at top speed. His vampire muscles were used to much greater speeds and longer durations, so he hadn't any trouble with this. As soon as he stepped outside of the school gate, he saw a girl with familiar red hair. "Aka-chan!" he called after her and jogged towards her when she turned around and waited for him.

"Kirino-senpai," she exclaimed shyly when he had caught up with her. "You really don't have to walk me home every day."

"I'm almost starting to think you don't want me to be around, Akara-chan," Kirino joked playfully and he chuckled when he saw her reaction. The scarlet-haired girl's eyes widened, her violet pupils were dilated when she looked at him.

"No-no, Kirino-senpai," she hurried to say while waving her arms around as if to brush off her earlier words. "I-I like it if you're around, bu-but you're busy too and you-"

He cut her off by placing a finger at her lips. "Don't worry," he smiled gently. "I said so before, didn't I? I like to walk with you." She looked down and nodded and he retrieved his finger, after which they walked in silence for a while.

"Kirino-senpai, are you really okay?" Akara asked the question when they reached the driveway to her house. This was the point they usually said goodbye, but she wanted to talk to him for a little bit longer. Kirino was annoyed with himself that he was such an open book. Akara was already the second person who noticed that he was a bit distracted lately.

"I'm fine, Aka-chan," he sighed with a tired smile. "I didn't sleep very well last night, that's all."

"Was something bothering you?" the scarlet-haired girl inquired, not realizing how close she was to the truth. Kirino hesitated for a bit to think about his answer. If he told her that he indeed had been bothered by something, she might want to know what it was and he couldn't tell her that. On the other hand, he didn't want to lie to her either. Not more than he needed, anyway.

His face must have told her she was right, because she smiled and took a step forward, placing her hand on his cheek to make him look at her. "It's okay," she smiled sweetly. "You don't have to tell me, I was just worried about you."

"You don't have to be," he managed to croak. His skin tingled where her hand touched it and he wished they could be this close for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, Akara stepped back with a slight blush decorating her face.

"A-anyway," she said while clearing her throat. "Would you wait here for a little while? I want to give you something."

"Sure," he said and watched how she walked into her garden. After looking around a bit, she picked a red geranium and returned to him. With a blush on her face, she shyly handed him the plant.

"Here. I-it symbolizes friendship, so... I just want you to know that if you want to talk to a friend, you can talk to me, okay? Don't worry about big things on your own."

Kirino smiled as he pressed the flower against his chest, careful not to damage it. "I will, thanks Akara."

After that they went their separate ways again. Every now and then, Kirino glanced at the red flower in his hand. The sweet, energetic scent filled his nose again and he couldn't help but smile. It was just a small gift and Akara had explicitly said it meant _friendship_, but he couldn't help but feel light in his heart. After all the worry of the past days, this was just what he needed.

When he came home, he found a few plants on his doormat. It looked a bit like a small bouquet, but the flowers in it were no ordinary flowers. They weren't just tied together either, and it looked like someone accidentally dropped them there. But Kirino knew that it wasn't like that. Someone had placed them there on purpose, and he clenched his fist around the geranium when he realized who.

Someone from Kaiou.

Now he took a closer look at the individual plants. The bouquet mostly consisted of thistles, and its thorny leaves almost suffocated the other plants. There were also a few thin withered branches, which made the whole thing look quite sinister. The only colour came from a few small yellow flowers, which he soon recognised as mimosa. There was one flower that laid near the bouquet, too far to be part of it but too close to not belong in the picture. It was a red rose, but its stem was snapped and it looked quite miserable, the way it laid there.

The geranium fell to the ground when Kirino got the message that was hidden in the bouquet. Ever since he met Akara, he tried to memorize as many flower names and their meanings, so they would have something to talk about. The meanings of the bouquet seeped into his mind and fed his worries.

The thistles meant 'dolour' or 'solicitude'.

The withered branches stood for 'destruction'.

The mimosa's meaning was 'vulnerability'.

And the red rose had a different meaning altogether. It originally stood for 'love' and 'happiness', but Kirino was convinced there was another meaning to it. He wished he thought wrong, but he knew he didn't.

The red rose, with its snapped stem, symbolized Akara.

* * *

**Me: So, Kaiou discovered something about Akara and now they sent Kirino a new threat. What do you think they found out? **

**Akara: Should I worry?**

**Me: Probably! ^^**

**Akara: O.o *gulp***

**Me: Haha, relax. Kirino will be there to save you, I hope.**

**Akara: *blush* Review please.**

**Me: By the way, I created my own kind of vampire, using characteristics from different types of vampires. Explanations will follow soon. Oh yeah, and Kaiou will be the main antagonist of this story, if you hadn't already guessed (so if you worship them and don't want to see them as bad guys, I suggest you leave ;) (PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!))**

**Have a nice day!^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Wow, it's been forever!**

**Kirino: I thought you had abandoned this story!**

**Me: I couldn't, but I'm busy lately and I have my other stories too. Wait, I thought you didn't like to be in this story?**

**Kirino: Ehm... Well, that's because... erm...**

**Me: *innocently* because you get paired up with Aka-chan?**

**Kirino: *blush***

**Akara: Inazuma Eleven GO belongs to Level5 and I belong to SapphireSpade-chan! Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The rest of the week passed without major trouble, though Kirino did receive a few more warnings. All of them told him in one way or another that something bad would happen to Akara. He clenched his jaw as he thought about it. If he would have been the only one that was being threatened, he could have handled it. Then he would just go away from here and wait a few decades for their anger to die down.

But Akara-chan was also involved, so there was no way out for him. If he ran away, Kaiou's members would most definitely take it out on her. Kirino's heartbeat sped up when he pictured the scarlet-haired girl lying lifelessly on the ground. He could clearly see how they would leave her body covered in cuts and biting wounds. _No, there's no way I can do that to her!_ he thought. Besides, if killing Akara didn't fully satisfy their anger, maybe they would kidnap someone from Raimon as well.

The most suited candidate for that would be Shindou, and Kirino knew he couldn't forgive himself if something happened to his best friend. Vampires weren't really allowed to kill humans galore, but it sometimes happened that people 'mysteriously disappeared' and were never found. Most of the time, it was a vampire who was behind all that.

The aforementioned law was the only thing that protected his teammates from Kaiou's rage, so they were safe for now. Unfortunately, Akara was a different story...

Kirino pressed his nails in the skin of his palm and bit his tongue to keep himself from hitting something or someone. Akara walked alongside him with silent steps and he didn't want to let her know that something bothered him. They had been walking home together ever since she gave him the flowers last Monday. A faint smile was on his lips when he remembered the red floret that was currently in a vase on the table in his livingroom. He continuously needed to remind himself that the flower merely meant 'friendship'.

"Kirino-senpai," Akara said. "Maybe we shouldn't do this. Walking together, I mean."

"Why not?" Kirino inquired.

"Well," the younger girl looked down shyly as she sought for words. "P-people started talking lately... They think we're a... a couple." The last part was so soft that he wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't sharpened senses. "I-I don't want to give off the wrong signal."

Part of him just wanted to grab her hand and say: 'Maybe we shouldn't change the signal, but make the wrong signal right.' But he knew the effect that a confession like that would have on the poor girl. She would just get scared of him and back away, asking for some time alone. And of all things, time to be alone was the only thing that Kirino couldn't give her.

So instead of giving in to that part, he smiled kindly. "I understand, but maybe you shouldn't think too much about what others say. After all, we're just friends, right? So it should be fine for us to walk together." His smile wavered a bit at the mention of the words 'just friends', but Akara didn't seem to notice.

"That's right," she smiled shyly. "We're good friends." Kirino missed the slight hint of disappointment in her voice because his tongue stroke past something that greatly startled him: his fangs were growing again. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand to prevent Akara from seeing his relatively large canines. "Kirino-senpai? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Aka-chan," he said through his hand. "I eh... There flew a fly in my throat, that's all," and to underline his point, he coughed a few times.

Akara sent him a look filled with both worry and doubt. "Alright then, please be careful." Luckily for him, they reached Akara's home just after that. They gently bid goodbye for the weekend, though Kirino didn't stay around for a chat like usual, which made Akara a little sad. Just a little bit.

But even though he didn't stay and chat with her, Kirino still trailed behind until the door safely closed behind her. He calmly continued walking until he knew he was completely out of her sight. Then he broke into a sprint, trying to get home to dump his stuff from school and change into his casual clothes, before he would head out to hunt in the forest. Though it took a little more time, he knew he would be happy when he didn't have to wash out possible bloodstains from his school uniform.

Because of his rush, Kirino didn't really noticed the odd thing in his house. Like how the door was closed but not locked, even though he was sure he had turned the key before he left this morning. Another thing he missed was the light switch that was detached from the wall and the small, remotely controlled device that replaced it. If he had taken a second to look at the light that was controlled by said switch, he would've noticed that the glass of the light bulb was broken, leaving only the metal thread inside. And the final and probably most important thing he missed, was the smell of gas in his house, even though his senses were sharper than those of a normal human.

He rushed upstairs and changed from his uniform to something that was easier to move around in. the easy task was a lot harder due to his bloodstream that went faster than usual, caused by his rapidly beating heart. God, he really needed to drink now! The last time was a week ago, when Namikawa made his final proposal. Kirino had lost his appetite after that, so he hadn't drunken more than the blood of one deer. He could usually last longer with one drink, even if it was a small one from an animal, but he had used up more energy than usual with all his worry for Akara's safety. Both of his fangs grew a little and they pressed in his tongue. He ran out of his room as soon as he was fully changed and hoped that he wouldn't encounter any of his teammates. Canines as big as his own were hard to explain, certainly when his mind was clouded with thirst.

He descended the stairs and headed for the door, but the phone in the living room rang before he could leave the house. He hesitated for a second, pondering if he should ignore the call or take it. A picture of Akara with her phone against her ear flashed through his mind and he quickly walked towards the machine. Akara had never called him before and he didn't see a reason for her to do so today, but if it really was her and he would ignore it, she might not call again. He knew how shy the scarlet-haired girl could be and he didn't want to hurt her feelings by ignoring her call. So despite the low chances of the caller being Akara, he hurried to the phone and pressed it against his ear.

"Hello?" As he placed the phone against his ear, he noticed the smell of gas that lingered in the house. He heard a chuckle on the other end of the line, followed by one word:

"Goodbye."

_Namikawa._

Without thinking about what or how, Kirino followed his instincts and dashed towards the closest window. He broke the glass with his fists and jumped outside. His feet barely touched the ground or a loud explosion sent him flying. He landed on his back in the grass and his world tilted for a minute. A high-pitched beep rang in his ear and his whole back felt like it was burned. With an incredible amount of effort, he managed to push himself up with his hands until he sat. Barely processing what his eyes detected, he stared at his burning house. Thick black smoke came from the shattered windows and other openings that were caused by the explosion. Kirino could feel the heat from the fire, even from this distance.

His mind, now clouded by the daze from the explosion and his thirst, tried to process what happened. It was definitely Namikawa who had called him, and from the message that the vampire gave him, Kaiou was the one behind this attack. Kirino knew that Kaiou saw him as an enemy, but to think they would really go this far... After resting for a few more minutes, he slowly got up from the ground. People crowded his house to see what happened, and he could hear the sirens of the fire trucks in the distance. If he didn't get out of here soon, they would take him to the hospital and then he might not be able to keep himself back with all those people around him. Furthermore, they would ask him about his fangs...

So he sneaked out of the garden and used narrow alleys to get away. If he could just reach the forest and feed from an animal to strengthen his body... He was still a little dizzy from the explosion. His only wish right now was that he wouldn't meet Kaiou in this state.

Unfortunately, his wish was not fulfilled.

"So, I see you managed to escape, eh?"

Too late, Kirino realized that he was surrounded in this alley. The way in front of him was blocked by Namikawa and three other members from Kaiou and behind him were also a few members. He didn't need to look up to know that the rest of the members were on the roofs of the surrounding buildings, looking down on him. He tried to keep track of them with all his senses, though his eyes solely focussed on Kaiou's captain. He tried to keep a balance stance, but failed miserably when the ground started to sway under his feet.

"Do you really think it's wise to fight?" Namikawa sneered. "You're outnumbered, weak, wounded, thirsty..." Kirino unconsciously licked his lips at the last word and resolted to his unique talent. Some vampires were gifted with a talent, a power of their own that they could use. That could be all kinds of things and for Kirino, it was water-related. He could summon clouds of mist at will and he didn't only use this for hunting, but also for soccer. Right now, he used the white fog to hide himself from Kaiou and he hoped to sneak away before they noticed.

He felt how they charged at him through the fog and moved in ways to avoid their attacks. But no matter how hard he tried, there were just too many of them. Like Namikawa said, he was weak and outnumbered, and that is what ended the fight eventually.

Two firm vampires grabbed his arms and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break free. The clouds of smoke slowly disappeared because he was too exhausted to keep them here, and he watched as Namikawa took slow, confident steps towards him. _Like a predator approaching a trapped prey,_ Kirino thought sourly.

"Too bad you defied us," Namikawa spoke loudly and he grinned victoriously. "Your talent surely would have been helpful for our plans, but I guess we have to get it done without you."

"It?"

"Heh, you think I'm stupid enough to tell you Kaiou's confidential information, Kirino?" He roughly grabbed Kirino's chin and held it so tight that it hurt. Bringing his face closer to that of his captive, Namikawa said in a low voice: "No, I won't do that. You have a nasty habit of surviving, as we saw just moments ago." He let go again and cracked his knuckles while smiling sadistically. Both he and the other members approached the helpless pink-haired vampire.

"This time, we'll make sure you won't get away that easily."

* * *

Akara stared in shock at the last message she got on her phone. Kariya, her classmate, sent her a text message a few minutes ago, asking for Kirino's address. She gave it to him, wondering what on earth he wanted to do with that. Just seconds ago, she received a reply. Now she wished she didn't know why he wanted to know Kirino's address.

'I thought so'_,_ the message read. 'There has been an explosion in that house, just a few minutes ago.'

_An explosion?_ she thought in shock. _Is Kirino okay?!_

With trembling fingers, dialed Kariya's number. She knew she wouldn't be able to text him quick enough. "What about Kirino?" she asked as soon as the other picked up the phone.

"I don't know," the tinny voice said. "The firefighters went inside, but they couldn't find anyone."

Hope blossomed in her chest. Hope that Kirino might not have been at home when the accident happened. He might still be safe. She asked Kariya a few more questions, but the teal-haired boy didn't know much either. Frustrated with he lack of knowledge, she grabbed her coat and went out after she hung up. She knew that it wouldn't help, but she couldn't just sit still.

Using several alleyways as a shortcut to Kirino's house, Akara ran as fast as she could. _Please, let him be okay,_ she pleaded to every higher being that would care to listen to her. As she turned around another corner, she abruptly halted her steps.

Halfway the alley laid a figure of a person. It was a boy, with bruises and open wounds on his arms and legs. There were probably more, but they were covered by his clothes. But just the sight of the unfortunate boy wasn't exactly what made her stop. It was the fact that she knew the boy. Heck, she would have recognised those pink pig tails everywhere.

"Kirino-senpai!" she called out as she quickly made her way over to him. He laid on his stomach while his right cheek rested in a dried up puddle of mud. His eyes were closed, but Akara was relieved when she saw how his chest rose and fell with shallow movements. Recalling the first-aid lessons her brother Akoro had taught her, Akara turned Kirino until he laid on his back. If she had to, she would give him mouth to mouth resuscitation.

She took a millisecond to admire Kirino's soft lips before she strictly reprimanded herself. _He is in danger, I can't be thinking about trivial things like this._ She first exerted pressure on his chest with her hands, the way Akoro taught her. Then she extended her left hand to pinch his nose and her right to cup his cheek. That way, his lips parted so she cou- _What is that?!__  
_

With shock written all over her face, all her previous actions forgotten, she stared into his mouth. Kirino's teeth were white and shiny, but that wasn't what she looked at. As far as she knew, people's canines were stumpy and just as big as their other teeth. Kirino's canines, however, were about the size of the upper phalanx of her index finger. Furthermore, just by looking, she could tell that these fangs were as white as snow and as sharp as a blade. Shifting her gaze from his unusually big teeth to his whole face, only one thought ran through her mind:

_What is this?_

* * *

**Done!^^ Sorry if it was over the top, I couldn't think of anything else!**


End file.
